HISTORY

A Quick History: The Wildcats Since 1969

In the fall of 1969, a visiting professor from New Zealand found several young Wildcat student athletes who decided the flag of rugby should be planted in Southern Arizona.  And so it was.  A group of students, along with their New Zealand mentor, grabbed 20 young men who were ready for adventure, and rugby at the University of Arizona was born.

The early days were “pioneer” in nature.  The team traveled by private car to destinations ranging from Utah to California.  To play in the early days for U of A Rugby, was to be truly a road warrior.

The first game in Tucson was played in November 1969 when the Los Angeles Rugby Club took on Arizona on a makeshift field at Rincon High School.

(The first Wildcats at the 1969 Catalina Island Tournament)

One of the early Wildcats was Bob Blakey, a law student who went on to found the Phoenix Rugby Club.  That was a significant development because when the Phoenix RFC was born, Arizona had its first “in-state” opposition.

The 70’s were a period of expansion for the sport in America as well as on the U of A campus.  The club generally fielded 25 – 30 players for practice and per match.  In 1973, the team ventured to the then far-flung Santa Barbara Tournament, and hoped to establish the University’s program as one of the up and coming in the western United States.

In 1974, Arizona raised eyebrows in California as the club, led by flyhalf Brad Cox, finished with a 4-1 record at the then prestigious Santa Barbara Tournament.  Their only loss was in double overtime to Snake River, Idaho.  On that Arizona side was a freshman fullback named Dave Sitton, who has been coaching the program for over three decades.

(Freshman fullback Dave Sitton, circa 1974)

The club settled into Himmel Park, a delightful midtown Tucson venue, which would serve as its home field, and spiritual base, for over 15 years.  In the late 80’s, rugby at the U of A, and in the city-based club programs, had grown so large that the sport was relocated to Estevan Park.  The City of Tucson transformed a dilapidated baseball diamond into a highly regarded rugby facility.

By 1975, rugby was growing at such a clip, that the Phoenix Rugby Club, and the U of A club combined to form the Arizona Rugby Union.  The Wildcats and Phoenix RFC welcomed Tempe, ASU, and the Old Pueblo Club to make a circuit of five a reality.  For a brief time, a ferocious rivalry was established between the Wildcats and the new club, the Old Pueblo Lions (comprised of many former Wildcats, including Peter Jorgenson and Old Pueblo Club founder Dan Cross).  As club rugby grew mature, the gap between the clubs and colleges necessitated the split into separate divisions.

In 1978, the Wildcats enjoyed the move into college rugby, winning the Michelob Continental Rugby Classic held at the U of A, and finishing in the middle of their new conference affiliation – Southern California, behind then powerhouses UCLA and Long Beach State.

(Wildcats vs. Sun Devils, early 80’s)

Also in 1978, the Wildcats began a tradition, which still marks their program as a leader in today’s rugby world.  U of A toured Wales and England, establishing ties in the United Kingdom.  During that tour, the club befriended Clive Evans and Jon Evans.  Clive is an important fixture in the Maesteg, Wales, rugby community as well as the Welsh Rugby Union.  Jon Evans was the head coach of the Cardiff Rugby Club, and a well-regarded sports professor in Wales.  They had a great influence on all of the Wildcats on that tour, especially head coach Dave Sitton.

That tour set up subsequent tours to Scotland and Ireland, and then in 1983 down to New Zealand and Australia.  Associate head coach Mike Veth has taken charge of the overseas tours program, and molded U of A’s travels into one of the wonders of college rugby.  To this day, the Wildcats tour overseas every two years.

Under the leadership of eventual All American Ryan Kelly, the team participated in post-season play for the first time in 1986.  Then followed that with two more appearance in 87 and 88.  Another All American, Simon Mathews, helped Arizona to a 1987 upset win over the University of California at Berkeley in the San Diego Tournament (Cal losses are rare!).

The early 90’s posed a great challenge for the Wildcats.  The degree of sophistication and commitment by college athletes to rugby was increasing.  As a result, the team and its alumni needed to direct all resources to bettering the club.  The U of A Rugby Alumni Association was formed, and it is the Alumni Association to this day that provides the key funding for travel and other team needs.

(1997 Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C.)

As the program expanded, it was necessary to add quality coaches to the staff.  New Zealand native David King, and a host of others burst onto the scene.  The catalog of qualified and dedicated volunteer coaches continues to be filled.

In the late 90’s, a group of student athletes decided to challenge Arizona’s standing.  A then sophomore hooker named Paul Enegren helped galvanize the entire club, and made a vow that the team would win the SoCal Conference for the first time in 1997.  They did.  The Wildcats have won the SoCal Conference Championship again in 1999, 2000, and were co-champions in 2003.

Since its most humble beginnings, the University of Arizona rugby program has blossomed into one of the more prominent programs in the United States.  The Club now boasts over 100 active members, including a 12-member volunteer coaching staff.  The Club enters four teams in two separate Unions.  The intercollegiate program is a powerful member of the Southern California Collegiate Conference, and has been in that organization, and its predecessor, since 1978.

Arizona was a co-founder of the Arizona Rugby Union and left the organization in 1980.  However, the team has grown so that now it places two “Union” sides in the ARU and faces men’s clubs throughout the states of Arizona and Nevada.

In 2005, Arizona’s “Union Squad” won the Union’s “Academic Division”, featuring the University of Arizona, Thunderbird Graduate School, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

In the 2005/06 Season, the Wildcat newcomer program will move to an associate membership in the Arizona Rugby Union.  The team will compete against the academic affiliated clubs in the state of Arizona, and play matches against Division I “C” programs and Division II schools throughout the Southwest, including universities in New Mexico, Nevada, and Southern California.

(The 1998 Wildcats at the “Sweet Sixteen” round held at Cal Berkeley.  U of A defeated Indiana University)

The team travels more than any collegiate program in the United States, with major trips each fall and spring.  The Club has toured overseas 11 times since 1978, and has played matches as far south as Otago, New Zealand; and as far north as Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Club is supported by the University of Arizona Associated Students, businesses that are community leaders, its former rugby playing alumni.  The Club also stages a significant number of fundraisers throughout the year, including a midsummer golf tournament (the Michelob Strong and Tough), and player participation programs, including the PGA event – the Chrysler Classic of Tucson.

With the assistance of former All American Ryan Kelly and others, the Alumni Association is emerging as an important part of the overall structure of the Club.  The Alumni Association helps raise awareness of the club and, of course, tackles funding issues.

Twice in the last decade, the University of Arizona program has been named the “Best Organization on Campus” and two of the team’s members have been elected student body president at the University of Arizona.  Both Mike Proctor and Thad Avery were dubbed by their fellow students as the “Top Leader on Campus.”

Student leadership is an important part of the Arizona Rugby Club program.  With the help and guidance of the coaching staff, student athletes assume many responsibilities of the Clubs operations.  Also the Club Sports Department at the University of Arizona has emerged as a national leader.  The Wildcats have been grateful for the support of Mary O’Mahoney, who is the Club Sport Coordinator at the University of Arizona.

The intercollegiate squad has won four SoCal Conference championships in the league’s first eight years, and hopes to include a fifth championship in 2006.

The team boasts seven recent All Americans, including two-timers Simon Matthews, Chris Kron, and Jonathon Gray; as well as 2003 All Americans Tom Dolan and Joe Schmitt.

(Two-time All American Jonathon Gray)

Five Wildcats have played for the United States Eagles, Including Al Lakomskis; another Arizona All American, who started at wing for the Eagles during the World Cup qualifiers in 2002.

It is estimated that over 1,200 student athletes have participated in the University of Arizona rugby program since its inception.  They can all be proud of what has been achieved by the Club and their contributions to the University of Arizona rugby’s success.